1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an X-ray sensor, and more particularly, to an X-ray sensor having flexible properties and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, medical or industrial X-ray imaging has been performed using films and screens, but is inefficient in terms of cost and time due to the problems of development and storage of the films used.
To solve such problems, thorough research into an imaging system using a digital X-ray sensor is ongoing.
An X-ray sensor may include a direct conversion X-ray sensor and an indirect conversion X-ray sensor. A direct conversion X-ray sensor directly converts X-rays into an electrical signal using a photoconductor, and an indirect conversion X-ray sensor converts X-rays into visible light by a scintillator so that the visible light is converted into an electrical signal using a photovoltaic device.
Since such a direct conversion X-ray sensor is operated at high voltage, it causes problems of dielectric breakdown and low reliability. Hence, an indirect conversion X-ray sensor is mainly utilized.
However, an indirect conversion X-ray sensor is problematic because it has a fixed shape and thus is not bendable due to the processes of forming an array element such as a light-receiving element, a transistor, etc. on a hard substrate.
Attributed to the structural limitation of such an X-ray sensor, even when the scintillator having flexible properties is used, the X-ray sensor itself does not have flexible properties. Therefore, it is difficult to cope with various shapes and curvatures of target to be examined.